Description
Joan Miro – Maternity
| Year of Creation: | 1924 |
| Original size: | 73 cm x 92 cm |
| Paint style: | Surrealism |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Located: | Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh |
Maternity – Joan Miró
Maternity is a painting by Joan Miró from 1924: on a pale ground, a mother reduced to fine lines, two black half-circles and small signs, with two tiny creatures at her breasts. We paint our hand-painted study of Maternity to order on canvas, in oil or acrylic, in 8 sizes from 40 × 50 cm to 150 × 200 cm or in a custom size. Before Maternity is dispatched, we send you a photo of the finished painting.
What does Maternity show?
In Maternity two thin lines form a large cross, and from their ends hang black half-round shapes like breasts, with small insect-like children clinging to them; above are a black spiky head, a white disc with a dot and a yellow-orange worm. At the time Miró was turning real things into his own language of signs, which is why the mother in Maternity is recognisable although she is almost pure drawing. The original is in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh.
How is our hand-painted study of Maternity made?
Our painters paint the study of Maternity by hand, with brushstrokes of different thickness, separately for every order. We paint in oil or acrylic, depending on the subject and the size, so the surface of Maternity has a real paint texture that a print does not have. The first photograph shows our finished study of Maternity in a gold frame on the easel, and the second, taken from the side, shows the frame and the clean, pale ground. When Maternity is finished, we photograph it and send you the photo for approval.
Which size of Maternity suits your room?
For the wall above a sofa or a sideboard choose Maternity in 80 × 100 cm, and for a bedroom, hallway or work corner 40 × 50 cm. Maternity is available in 40 × 50 cm, 50 × 70 cm, 60 × 80 cm, 73 × 92 cm, 80 × 100 cm, 90 × 120 cm, 120 × 150 cm and 150 × 200 cm. A simple rule for Maternity: it should be about two thirds as wide as the furniture below it, with its centre about 150 cm from the floor.
How does Maternity arrive, and when?
We ship Maternity rolled in a sturdy tube, stretched on 2.5 cm deep wooden stretcher bars, or framed – you choose when you order. Stretching and framing of Maternity are done in our workshop in Slovenia. When a size of Maternity is in stock, it reaches you within 6 working days; a study of Maternity painted to order reaches you in 15 to 45 days.
Frequently asked questions about Maternity
Is Maternity a print?
No. Every brushstroke of Maternity is painted by hand on canvas, so the paint visibly stands up from the surface.
Can I order Maternity in a size that is not listed?
Yes. We also paint Maternity in a custom size; enter the width and height you want when you order Maternity.
Who are the small figures in Maternity?
A mother simplified into lines and signs: the black half-circles are her breasts, the small figures on them her children. Maternity is a tender, almost playful look at a mother’s love.
Is Maternity a good gift?
Maternity is a gift for young parents, for a lover of Miró or for a bright, calm room. If you are unsure which size of Maternity to choose, give a gift voucher.
